When Samantha got the news that her gravely ill mother had been released from the medical center to hospice, she worked with medical center team members to create a beautiful, joyful wedding in Absher Chapel so her mom could attend.
"It's great how, even in a hospital, you can find moments of joy," said Samantha, who married her fiancé of eight years, Phillip, in the medical center's Absher Chapel on Dec. 23, 2024. Her gravely ill mother, Lynn, who had just been released from the Progressive Care Unit (PCU) to hospice, smiled over the ceremony from her wheelchair, surrounded by the PCU nurses, who helped put the wedding together.
Those nurses worked with a variety of medical center departments to quickly create this moment of joy for the family. Will, a medical center Chaplain, presided over the ceremony. The Gift Shop donated flowers and décor, and food services gave the family a beautiful wedding cake. The Marketing team purchased a pair of sparkly slippers, so the bride wasn't getting married in "just my socks," as Sam said. The nurses, particularly nurse manager Kayla, helped decorate. And the bride wore her mother's wedding dress, quickly pinned to fit.
As her father, David, walked Samantha down the aisle, and "Here Comes the Bride" played from a team member's phone, Lynn looked on, excited about both the ceremony and the cake. "She kept asking when we were going to cut it," Sam said. The rest of the family attended via Facetime, so they could be a part of Sam and Phillip's special day, too.
“Often PCU team members help families navigate an illness or event that has negatively impacted their lives," said Kayla.
Sam and Phillip's wedding was the opposite of that, however. "Hearing that the bride and groom were willing to change their plans so that Lynn could participate and have peace about moving forward with the next steps of her care was encouraging," Kayla said. "It was inspiring to watch so many different departments and individuals across the organization come together to make this a positive celebration, especially at this time of year.”
The family expressed their gratitude for how the team had gone above and beyond. "We're so appreciative of everything that everyone at the medical center did to make this day special," said Sam.